Gord Jones

The City of Ottawa and the previous owner appealed the property assessments for two vacant lots in downtown Ottawa for the 2017 to 2020 taxation years.

The parties agreed on the current value of the properties but disputed the equitable adjustment required under section 44(3)(b) of the Assessment Act.

The Assessment Review Board rejected the Assessment to Market Ratio (AMR) method proposed by the current owner, preferring the Assessment to Sale Ratio (ASR) method used by MPAC and the City.

After filtering the comparable sales to those within the shoulder years of the valuation date, the Board determined a median ASR of 0.830.

This resulted in a reduced equitable current value of $8,500,000 for the subject property.